Confirmed: Pope will visit New York, Washington in September
January 19, 2015
Pope Francis has confirmed that he plans to visit Washington, DC, and New York as well as Philadelphia during a trip to the US in September.
During a session with reporters aboard his plane as he returned to Rome following a week-long trip to Sri Lanka and the Philippines, the Pope said that he would not visit Mexico during his September trip, because he did not want to add time to what is expected to be a week-long voyage.
Confirming widespread reports, the Pontiff said that he would travel to New York to visit the UN, and to Washington, the nation’s capital. He did not directly address rumors that he will address a session of Congress.
The Pope had already confirmed that he would attend the World Meeting of Families, which will be held in Philadelphia in September. The Vatican has not yet disclosed other details of the papal itinerary.
Last week, while speaking with reporters on his trip to Sri Lanka, the Pope had revealed that during the trip he plans to preside at the canonization of Blessed Junipero Serra. That announcement prompted some speculation that he might travel to California, to hold the canonization in the region evangelized by the 18th-century Franciscan. But Pope Francis ruled out that possibility. “I would like to go to California,” he said, but the cross-country trip would not be possible during the week allotted.
In separate talks with reporters, Archbishop Bernardito Auza, the Vatican’s permanent representative at UN headquarters in New York, said that the Pope would be in the US from September 22 through 27.
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Further information:
- Pope says he will canonize Blessed Junipero Serra in Washington (CNS)
- Pope Francis rules out Mexico, border stop on US trip (Crux)
- Exclusive: Details of the proposal for Pope Francis' US visit revealed (EWTN)
- Possible itinerary for Pope Francis visit includes address to Congress (Washington Post)
- Canonization this year for Bl. Junipero Serra (CWN, 1/15)
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